The January 12, 2010 earthquake that hit Haiti (7.0 in magnitude) was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in 200 years. The devastating earthquake left more than 220,000 dead, 300,000 injured, and a million homeless. The earthquake also destroyed most of the governmental, technical, and educational infrastructure throughout the region. Not only was this earthquake costly in lives, it was also estimated to cost approximately 7.8 billion dollars (120% of the country's GDP). Lack of preparation and poor building practices also intensified the tragedy people felt. At the beginning of 2012, though lots of progress had been made, approximately 519,000 people were still living in tents and temporary camps and only about half of the rubble had been removed.
After researching and looking for a suitable picture, I started thinking about what these people were feeling after the earthquake struck. Everyone was in absolute chaos and panic. Those who were already impoverished were now homeless and without family members. Even if you were lucky and still home standing, it wasn't safe to stay in a building anymore. The aftershocks of the the earthquake shook standing structures and were constant reminder of their unstable situation. The survivors of the disaster, with nowhere to go were forced to live among the dead. Scared and alone are the two words that come to mind when I think of the disaster people had to endure in January of 2010.
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